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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27717517">Strange Orbits</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/platinum_firebird/pseuds/platinum_firebird'>platinum_firebird</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Competence Porn, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Space Battles, Space Politics, Worldbuilding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:09:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,731</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27717517</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/platinum_firebird/pseuds/platinum_firebird</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Mara Day - war hero, loyal officer of the Protectorate, living legend - has many problems. Her direct superior is a nightmare, her girlfriend hasn't replied to any of her messages in a month - and now war might be about to break out between the United Federation of Humanity and a splinter faction calling themselves the Spiral Arm Alliance.</p><p>As if that weren't enough, the SAA's golden girl, Commodore Selina Vestras, seems determined to annoy her to death - or possibly get her into bed.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Space Commodore/Enemy Commodore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Heart Attack Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Strange Orbits</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraPenguin/gifts">ExtraPenguin</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>The first hint of trouble came from a vague announcement in the cool, reserved voice of Serenity’s AI.</p><p>“<em>Would Senior Engineers Martinez, Chang and Donnelly please report to Engineering HQ</em>,” it said, repeating the message unchanged for several minutes before shutting off again.</p><p>To anyone else - indeed, to everyone enjoying the sunshine in the park around her - this wasn’t anything worthy of comment or worry. But to Mara, the fact that the ringworld was having to call in three off-duty senior engineers to supplement the five already on duty signalled that something must be wrong.</p><p><em>This, </em>she thought, tapping the first speed dial on her wrist comm, <em>is why I don’t leave the ship.</em></p><p>Soon enough the line was picked up, and the bright, friendly tones of the <em>Snowfire’s</em> shipboard AI, Ruby, said, “<em>How can I help you, Captain?</em>”</p><p>“Have any alerts gone out over Serenity’s network since I left the ship?” Mara asked.</p><p>“<em>No, Captain.</em>”</p><p>“Can you check the ringworld’s systems? See if everything’s green?”</p><p>Ruby seemed to ruminate on that for a moment. “<em>I am not sure that’s strictly legal, Captain</em>,” she said, which was her polite way of saying, <em>that is definitely </em>illegal <em>and I’m not doing it, Captain.</em></p><p>Mara sighed. “Okay. I’m on my way back to the ship. Expect me in twenty.”</p><p>“<em>You still have three hours of shore leave left at this time, Captain</em>.”</p><p>“I’ll take it on Centauros,” Mara said, then cut the call.</p><p>With the crowds and the lumbering pace of the ringworld’s transit system, it actually took Mara more like thirty five minutes to make it back to the <em>Snowfire</em>’s docking bay. Ruby had clearly warned everyone that she was coming; by the time she made it onto the bridge, the skeleton crew that oversaw the ship’s functions while she was in harbour were all dutifully turned toward their stations, projecting an air of calm focus. Mara didn’t distract them, merely nodding if she caught anyone’s eye. Technically she wasn’t back on duty yet - though, of course, she was always in command. “Everything still green on the ringworld, Ruby?” she asked in an undertone.</p><p>“<em>I see no evidence of a disturbance, Captain</em>.”</p><p><em>Maybe I’m overreacting</em>. Still, she felt more comfortable here on the bridge than she had sitting under a sun umbrella in the park eating an ice cream. “I’ll be in my quarters, then,” she told Ruby.</p><p>Fifteen minutes later, she’d almost convinced herself the announcement had been nothing to worry about - an engineering problem that the team had managed to fix, most likely - when Ruby’s voice came through her cabin’s speakers. “<em>Captain, a safety announcement is going out across Serenity, requiring everyone to proceed to safety shelters</em>,” she said. “<em>Serenity’s security team is also advising us to seal our life support systems and ensure we are self-sufficient</em>.”</p><p>Mara muttered a curse under her breath. “Tag all our off-ship crew members on the security systems and make sure all of them are heading to the shelters,” Mara said, throwing on her jacket.</p><p>“<em>That would require putting you back on duty and using your restricted access clearance. Clear to proceed?</em>”</p><p>“Proceed,” Mara confirmed, and left the room.</p><p>There was a buzz of activity when she got back to the bridge. “Report,” she said, looking to their chief engineering officer.</p><p>“All the <em>Snowfire</em>’s systems are green, Captain,” she said, “We are confirmed self-sufficient from the ringworld.”</p><p>“Any message from Serenity’s Council?” she asked the comms officer.</p><p>“Nothing aside from the official broadcast, Captain.”</p><p>Mara twisted her lips for a moment and frowned. Her first instinct was to do whatever was necessary to help - but years of experience had taught her that crashing through another team’s practised routines and protocols, even with the best of intentions, often did more harm than good. “Alright. Ruby, log an offer of help with their AI if they need it.”</p><p>“<em>Yes, Captain</em>.”</p><p>“And how many crew members are we missing?”</p><p>“<em>There are currently over five hundred crew members on the ringworld, Captain. All of them are making for the shelters as ordered</em>.”</p><p>The next few minutes passed silently, though Mara could feel anxiety beginning to claw at the pit of her stomach. There were over six million people on the ringworld, and though the safety shelters were designed to handle that many plus extra, Serenity had been, as the name suggested, a haven of peace and tranquillity throughout its thirty years of operation. The evacuation would be slow, while a failure of the atmospheric systems - if it came - would be all too fast.</p><p>“Get Fireteam Marshall suited up,” she said eventually, “Just in case.”</p><p>It was only three minutes after she’d given that command that Ruby put a call through from Serenity’s Engineering HQ. “<em>Captain Day, this is Elias Hayward, Serenity’s Chief Engineer</em>.” The man on the screen was maybe fifty, with a receding hairline and pale skin; he had the look of a usually calm man who was being pushed to his limit. “<em>You might’ve guessed, we’re having a…situation</em>.”</p><p>“What’s threatening the ringworld’s atmosphere, Mr Hayward?” Mara said, preferring to get straight down to business.</p><p>“<em>Sabotage</em>,” Hayward said flatly. “<em>The system is showing massive failures in several systems, too much of it happening all together to be simple failure from wear and tear. This is intentional, and we’ll soon be able to feel the effects on the ringworld if we can’t turn this around. Problem is, we don’t have enough experienced engineers to check all the systems we’ll need to fix.</em>”</p><p>“We can lend you a team,” Mara said instantly.</p><p>“<em>Thank you, Captain. One of the failures is in a system on the outside of the ring; I thought you might have a smaller vessel in the Snowfire’s hangar that could get in close and drop an engineering team off.</em>”</p><p>“We’re on it,” Mara said, “Send the details through your AI, we’ll handle the rest.” Once she’d called off, she turned to Engineering Officer Dodson. “I want a crew of your best suited up and ready to go ASAP,” she said, already turning to leave the room, “Flight Officer, prepare one of the shuttles for launch.” She left the bridge to calls of <em>aye aye, ma’am. </em></p><p>Long practise meant Mara could get into her hardsuit in a mere three minutes; her feet hit the hangar deck four minutes later, where a shuttle had already moved into position, engine idling. Park, the head of Fireteam Marshall, was waiting on the shuttle along with a crew of six engineers; he saluted as Mara stepped on board and signalled for the pilot to close up the hatch. “All present and correct, ma’am,” he said as the shuttle hovered into the air.</p><p>Usually Mara would’ve believed him without question; but her eyes had already spotted a problem. “Your tube’s disconnected, Private,” she said to the engineer in front of her, tapping the back of her neck where her own breathing tube ran to her helmet from the hardsuit’s body.</p><p>She could see through the clear faceplate that the man was very young, and almost green with nerves; he jumped at being addressed by a senior officer. “Um, yes, ma’am, I-”</p><p>One of the engineers behind him reached over and shoved the tubing back into place, saying, “Switch on the hardsuit computer, Peters, it would’ve told you that you had a leak.” The engineer, whom Mara recognised as Sergeant Muir, looked to her and said, “Sorry, Captain. First spacewalk of his first tour.”</p><p>Privately Mara thought that perhaps such an inexperienced member of the crew should have been left behind for a mission of this magnitude, but she knew better than to tell engineers their business. They were, after all, the maintainers of every system on her ship, from the weapons to the air to the flush of her toilet. She’d learnt on her first tour in command that keeping a cordial relationship with her engineering crew was a very good idea. “I’ll let you handle it from here,” she said, and they moved aside to let her through into the shuttle’s cramped cockpit.</p><p>They were flying over the outside of the ringworld as she slipped into the empty co-pilot’s seat. The pristine ring of green parks and fields and forests, dotted here and there with shining cities and tiny villages, was invisible from their current position; instead, they saw an endless expanse of smooth metal, shining here and there with light and dotted with recesses which led into spaceports like the one they’d just left. The shuttle pilot steered them in a wide arc around the ringworld, following the data sent through by Ruby, before beginning to gently bring them down toward Serenity’s outer surface. As they came closer, the illusion of smooth metal was broken, as they began to see seams, and access panels marked out with red and yellow paint. The electronic overlay on the shuttle’s viewport picked out their landing spot with a red circle, and the vessel’s movement seemed almost effortless as the pilot brought them smoothly down and engaged the magnetic locks, attaching them to the surface.</p><p>“Nicely done, pilot,” Mara told him, and the man thanked her with clear pride in his voice.</p><p>Her helmet intercomm buzzed, and Park’s voice said, “<em>We’re moving out, Captain. We’ll broadcast all chatter over this channel.</em>”</p><p>“Very good, Sergeant. Good luck out there.”</p><p>It itched at Mara to have to sit still and do nothing while others were at risk. Once, she would’ve been in Park’s place, leading the team out there on the spacewalk; now she just had to sit and wait, watching the feed from Park’s and Muir’s helmets and listening to their chatter. <em>Succeed enough and suddenly you’re too valuable to actually get anything done</em>, she thought bitterly, as the engineers opened the access panel that Serenity’s AI had directed them to. <em>If I were following proper protocols, I should’ve stayed back on the bridge.</em></p><p>Several minutes of close-up shots of wires and long technical discussions later, and Mara could tell there was something confusing going on. She heard people ask <em>Are you sure? </em>several times, and Muir say, “<em>Check it again, the computer’s still giving the same reading</em>.”</p><p>Eventually she broke in to ask, “What’s the problem, Sergeant?”</p><p>Muir gave an exasperated sigh. “<em>That’s the thing, Captain</em>,” he said, “<em>There is no problem - at least, physically. As far as we can tell this system is working perfectly, but Serenity’s network is still telling us it’s about to go into meltdown.</em>”</p><p>Suspicion began to gnaw at the back of Mara’s mind. “Ruby, get me Hayward,” she said.</p><p>They waited about a minute for the call to connect; when it did, Elias Hayward’s harried face was projected onto the cockpit viewport in front of Mara, blocking out her view of the ringworld’s surface. “<em>Captain Day?</em>”</p><p>“Mr Hayward, I think we’re dealing with cyber-sabotage,” Mara said, “I need you to let my ship’s AI scan your systems.”</p><p>Hayward blinked. “<em>What?</em>”</p><p>“She’s equipped with cyber-warfare suites that can identify and neutralise any number of viruses and other threats. Given the discrepancy between my team’s findings here and what the network is reporting, I think the problem may lie in your computer system.”</p><p>“<em>Right</em>,” Hayward said, though he looked more dazed than understanding, “<em>‘Quillity, let the Snowfire’s AI into your system.</em>”</p><p>Mara soon got a ping from Ruby, saying that Serenity’s AI, Tranquillity, had allowed her access to all systems; and as the scan ran, she reported to Hayward what the team had actually found out on the surface of the ringworld. As she did so, she could see through the helmet feeds that Park and the engineers were coming back to the shuttle.</p><p>“<em>That tallies with what some of my teams are starting to report</em>,” Hayward said, worrying at his lip. “<em>But, Captain, if their goal isn’t sabotaging the station, what is it?</em>”</p><p>“Distraction,” Mara said grimly, signalling to the shuttle pilot that he could take them back to the <em>Snowfire</em>. “I won’t hold you up, Chief; I’ll give you a call if Ruby finds anything.”</p><p>As they flew back to the <em>Snowfire</em>, Mara let herself think through the problem, tapping the fingers of one hand restlessly against the arm of her seat. There were any number of things one could use such a total distraction of both Serenity’s populace and government to cover; the real question was who had the resources to set the whole thing up. Serenity’s peacefulness owed as much to firm policing and a strong Protectorate presence as it did to the attitudes of its citizens, but slipping past all that security to plant a virus wouldn’t even have been the first complication. The first would have been finding someone to create a virus advanced enough to affect a system as iron-clad as Serenity’s; the second would’ve been sneaking onto the ringworld itself. Whoever had done this was clever, resourceful, and potentially had an inside man.</p><p>They were touching down in the <em>Snowfire</em>’s hangar bay when Ruby confirmed that she’d found a virus lurking in Tranquillity’s systems. “<em>It is advanced enough to fight me while I attempt to shut it down, Captain</em>,” Ruby said, “<em>Deactivation may take several minutes</em>.”</p><p>Mara confirmed, then spent a minute or so giving the engineers and Park a few words of thanks for their service today, and was on her way back to the bridge when Ruby finally came through with, “<em>I have managed to isolate the virus, Captain. It can no longer affect the ringworld’s systems. Shall I make a copy of the data to send to Protectorate intelligence?</em>”</p><p>“Do that, then delete any trace of it from the systems,” Mara said, nodding at the officers who saluted as she stepped onto the bridge. “Coffin, get Mr Hayward up on the comm.”</p><p>Hayward looked distinctly relieved when he answered. “<em>Everything jumped back into the green the moment your AI took care of the virus, Captain</em>,” he said. “<em>We can’t thank you enough. We’re reopening the safety shelters now, so your crew should be free to return to you</em>.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Mara said, “Mr Hayward, I would recommend having Tranquillity scan the ringworld, to see if she can pick up any anomalies that might indicate what the saboteurs were after.”</p><p>“<em>Very good, Captain</em>,” Hayward said, and then Tranqillity’s voice confirmed that she was scanning.</p><p>“<em>Alert</em>,” she said a second later, “<em>The private vessel </em>Astralancer <em>is missing from its dock on pier three, section eighteen. This is an unscheduled departure.</em>”</p><p>Mara felt the start of an oncoming headache. “Say again, Tranquillity,” she said, praying that she hadn’t just heard that. “Did you say it was the <em>Astralancer </em>that’s missing?”</p><p>“<em>Yes, that is the missing vessel</em>.”</p><p>“<em>Captain</em>?” Hayward’s voice said, confused, “<em>What’s the </em>Astralancer<em>?</em>”</p><p><em>A massive problem that’s about to explode in my face</em>, Mara thought bitterly, already dreading the outrage that was guaranteed to erupt once this got back to the Federation.</p><p>Before she could reply to Hayward, though, Ruby’s voice broke into the conversation. “<em>Captain, I found a strange file while copying the virus’ data. I think you should have a look</em>.”</p><p>“Bring it up on screen,” Mara said, and then wished she hadn’t.</p><p>The file was a photograph, with a small text message laid over one corner of the image. It said, in obnoxiously bright red and curly font: <em>Send our love to Mr Bellamy! Remember you always make my Day, Captain xxx</em></p><p>The picture was a selfie of a woman posing in front of what was unmistakably the missing ship, grinning from ear to ear with two fingers thrown up in a peace sign. A very beautiful, very <em>familiar </em>woman.</p><p>“Vestras,” Mara growled.</p><p>/</p><p>“<em>I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how much of a shitstorm is going down on Vallaheim</em>.”</p><p>Mara, slumped in a desk chair in the comms room, was already massaging her temples, trying and failing to fend off the headache that had appeared as soon as Tranquillity had uttered the dreaded word ‘Astralancer’. “I can imagine, sir.”</p><p>“<em>Well I don’t have to imagine, Captain, because I’m right here in the damn middle of it. Bellamy is threatening to sue every goddamn person involved - Serenity, the chief engineer, the Federation, the Protectorate - even you</em>.”</p><p>“Maybe he should consider suing the company he hired his guards from,” Mara muttered.</p><p>“<em>This is no laughing matter, Captain. Leaving aside whether he sues our </em>entire government<em>, if he wins a case against Serenity it could bankrupt them. How exactly do you think that will look to the other races of the galaxy?</em>”</p><p><em>Like Hamish Bellamy is a massive flaming asshole on a power trip</em>, Mara thought, though she knew better to say that to her irate superior. “I understand, Admiral. But, respectfully, I don’t see how any of this is my fault. Allowing Vestras and her crew onto the station and letting them get inside the computer systems was a failing on the part of Serenity’s security teams.”</p><p>Admiral Lazaowski was a thin, grizzled man, whose uniform always looked a couple of sizes too big for him, even in the slightly wavering image of the long-distance commcall. The harsh lines of his face now pulled into an ugly sneer. “<em>Because you have a </em>reputation<em>, Captain Day. If a problem comes up, everyone expects you to be able to solve it. Oh, and because of this, of course</em>.” He clicked something offscreen, and the smug little selfie Vestras had sent Mara popped up. “<em>Needless to say, this little message has made Mr Bellamy quite convinced that Selina Vestras targeted him because of you</em>.”</p><p>“That’s preposterous,” Mara said immediately.</p><p>“<em>Still, it cannot be denied that when the so-called </em>Commodore <em>Vestras is involved, your rate of success drops sharply. It seems likely she had information from the inside for this little stunt, and fingers are beginning to point in your direction, Captain</em>.”</p><p>Mara was holding back from yelling at him only with great force of will; still, she rose angrily to her feet as she said, “If anyone at the Federation suspects me, I’ll submit to a full investigation without hesitation. I have nothing to hide, and I have <em>nothing </em>to do with Vestras or her group.”</p><p>“<em>But you do sympathise with the rebels</em>,” Lazaowski said, as if he were playing a trump card. “<em>Yours has been the main voice pushing for peace talks</em>.”</p><p>“Because they have legitimate grievances with the way the Federation handled the establishment of their colonies and stations, and they deserve to be heard,” Mara snapped, unable to resist taking the bait. “Instead we have trillionaires like Bellamy pushing for war so that he can protect his <em>investments</em>.”</p><p>“<em>You aren’t helping your case, Captain</em>.”</p><p>“I’m only saying what I’ve said in front of the top brass a hundred times, Admiral,” Mara said, turning away from him. Her finger was itching to press the button and disconnect the call, but that would just land her in even more hot water. “Is there something I can<em> do</em> for you, sir?” she said, affecting the most polite voice she could manage.</p><p>“<em>Damn right there is, Captain. Higher ups want that ship back yesterday, so I suggest you start looking for it</em>.”</p><p>Mara had been afraid he would say that; still, there was no use arguing with him. “Very good, sir. Anything else?”</p><p>“<em>That will do for now. And remember, Captain, keep this </em>quiet<em>. This is on a need to know basis, even with members of your crew. No running off to your alien friends with this story - we do </em>not <em>want the rest of the Protectorate hearing about this</em>.”</p><p>Ah yes, yet another reason she disliked Lazaowski; he was a chronic racist when it came to alien species. “Understood, sir,” she bit out, and then closed the call.</p><p>Mara slumped back down into her chair, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back. She missed Admiral Azagawa, to whom she had usually reported, before his retirement. He could never replace the mentor she’d had in Commander Vostok - the woman who had, without a shadow of a doubt, taught her everything she knew - but she and Azagawa had at least been able to get through one entire conversation without insulting each other.</p><p>She should vacate the comm room and let someone with more pressing need use it, she knew; but she had one more set of messages to check. Hauling herself back up into a sitting position, she turned on the haptic display interface and thumbed through to her personal inbox.</p><p>The only thing to get through her PA’s vicious filters was the latest edition of a newsletter she’d subscribed to last month. Mara paged hopefully through her spam folder, just in case, but in her heart, she knew there would be nothing of interest. Cathy hadn’t answered any of her messages for the past month; she clearly wasn’t interested in salvaging the shattered remains of their relationship.</p><p>Despite herself, Mara started a new message - <em>Hello Cathy, Just in case you didn’t get the last one, I</em> - before making a noise of disgust and deleting it. She hated herself for hanging on like this, for clinging onto the hope that Cathy might, just maybe, change her mind; hated herself for sending pathetic messages, begging Cathy to just talk to her, even once. <em>Suck it up, Day, you’ve been dumped</em>, she said, and tried to ignore the spike of pain that lanced through her heart.</p><p>She shut the terminal and stood up, calling up the bridge as she strode out of the room. “Pakamon, prepare to leave dock. Doloa’tho, see if you can’t get a trace on where Vestras and her miscreants took the <em>Astralancer</em>. We need to get on her tail.”</p><p><em>Or else any hope of peace talks is going to be well and truly sunk</em>.</p><p>/</p><p>Three weeks later, their search had turned up nothing.</p><p>Mara couldn’t say she minded. Aside from dodging Lazaowski’s increasingly irate calls, she enjoyed the tour through deep space; they made many short jumps to a myriad of different systems, getting to see a wide variety of planets and celestial features as they went. They also got to explore and chart systems that had previously only been scanned by long-distance probes, filling in blank spots on the star map and even turning up a few potential mining prospects that the Federation would be happy to hear about. Mara knew even the discovery of a new garden world might not make up for her failure to find Vestras and the <em>Astralancer</em>, but still, it felt satisfying to be able to come up with <em>something </em>useful.</p><p>“Maybe I should pack this in and take up with an exploration firm,” she said, standing at the observation screens at the front of the bridge and watching the displays that showed probes being launched onto the surface of the planet below.</p><p>Her XO, Commander Calleana Amalius, gave her the kind of severe sceptical look the letheri were so good at, her mandibles clicking in what Mara thought was a disapproving sound. “There is a sixty per cent death and missing in action rate among the employees of those corporations, Captain,” she said. The crest of brightly-coloured, feather-like chitin running down the centre of her head did the vibrating-shiver movement that Mara knew was the letheri equivalent of a shudder.</p><p>“Maybe not, then,” Mara said, giving Calleana a smile.</p><p>Together they stood and watched the planet below in silence, Mara’s eyes occasionally flickering toward the haptic display beside her. The planet, currently unnamed, glowed a beautiful bright, deep green, a forest-like jewel among the glittering stars. They had stopped off to launch a few probes toward the surface, to run some surveys and find out exactly what was hidden down below the shimmering atmosphere.</p><p>“Do you ever wonder,” Mara asked quietly, “what it would be like, to discover a new garden world? Or a new intelligent species?”</p><p>Before, maybe, Calleana would have looked askance at her for such a question; letheri warriors did not tend to also be philosophers. Now, though, she was used to Mara’s questions. “I have dreamed of nothing but glorious service since I was a child,” she said, which was the proper response for a member of the letheri warrior caste. “But… I imagine it must be… exciting. Scary. Fascinating,” she said after a moment.</p><p>“A great responsibility,” Mara murmured to herself. In her mind’s eye she saw the picture of her great-great-grandmother, the first of her family to leave Earth for the stars, the first to meet and talk with aliens. How did it feel, she wondered, to feel new and young in a galaxy so vast? To feel refreshed and raw among the stars?</p><p>It felt as if she had been old here forever.</p><p>“I need to attend to some things in my quarters,” she told Calleana, “Call me if anything interesting pops up.”</p><p>Calleana was now fiddling with her handheld datapad, and seemed to say, “Yes, Captain,” on instinct. Mara had gone past her and halfway back down the bridge by the time her XO called, “Captain, wait!”</p><p><em>Tell me it’s a seronium deposit</em>, Mara thought, turning around. With the import fees the Federation had been paying the nagari, they might just forgive all her failures if she could find them a source of the metal within their own territory. “What is it?”</p><p>“A strange file’s cropped up. It would’ve got through Ruby’s old firewalls, but that new update we installed a few weeks ago caught it.” Calleana turned the screen of her datapad, and Mara could see a highlighted file, with the filename ‘<em>Important Message for the Captain!</em>’.</p><p>A bad feeling had begun to churn in Mara’s gut, but when she held her hand out, Calleana gave her the datapad. Mara opened the file, and revealed a short message in plain, simple text.</p><p>
  <em>Dearest Captain Day,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I have some important dirt on your other, much less beautiful nemesis - namely, the pirate ‘Lord’ Damien Dray. In short, I know where he’s getting his information from, and how he keeps avoiding you and the rest of your Protectorate pals. If you want to really nail this guy, you need what I have.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Majarlah’s Palace, eight thirty station time, Vagrant Station. Don’t be late. And it’s a date, so wear something nice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your beloved,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Commodore Selina Vestras</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Spiral Arm Alliance Navy</em>
</p><p>“She is insufferable,” Mara sighed. After a moment in which the only sound was Calleana’s mandibles clicking nervously, Mara raised her voice and said, “Helmsman, once this scan is done, set a course for Vagrant Station.”</p><p>Over the helmsman’s rather confused <em>aye aye, ma’am</em>, Calleana said, “You can’t be intending to <em>meet </em>her, Captain.”</p><p>“I’ve been trying to get the SAA to the negotiating table for months,” Mara said, “Maybe this is the olive branch we need.”</p><p>“Or it’s a <em>trap</em>.”</p><p>“Well, we’ll make plans for that.” Mara clapped Calleana on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Commander; I doubt even Vestras would joke about Dray. The SAA are separatists, not criminals, and Dray hits them as often as he hits us. Besides, I’d trust you to run my ship in the event that I <em>do </em>get captured.”</p><p>“They might just kill you, Captain,” Calleana said heavily.</p><p>“Maybe,” Mara said, “But at least then I wouldn’t have to suffer through any more video calls with Lazaowski, would I?”</p><p>/</p><p>No one could decide whether Vagrant Station had been named for the fact that, several hundred years ago, it had famously broken free of its orbit and started wandering through deep space, or for the fact that most sentients who turned up there had, for one reason or another, nowhere else to call home. Whatever the reason, the station was rickety and decrepit, full to the brim with people, with no management or order save for the gangs. It was a bustling, dangerous free-for-all - and, as an officer of the Protectorate, Mara would have a big red target painted right over her back.</p><p>They kept one nondescript, plain white shuttle in the <em>Snowfire’s </em>hangar for missions just like this. As she stepped off onto the docking bay, Mara tugged again at the hood that hid her face and distinctive scars. This was a risk - maybe an unnecessary one - but it felt good to be back in the thick of the action, to be alert and ready for a stray shot or a knife in the back. She moved into the flow of Vagrant’s crowds, checking her watch as she did. Just past eight; more than enough time to get to her destination.</p><p>Majarlah’s Palace was what passed for fine dining on Vagrant, though Mara doubted it would have even passed a health code inspection back on Serenity. She pushed through the door into a cloud of strong, spicy smells and hot, sweaty atmosphere. Scanning the patrons, her eyes immediately landed on a figure sitting alone in a corner by one of the grimy windows.</p><p>Selina Vestras hadn’t bothered to disguise herself. Then again, she didn’t particularly need to; she hadn’t yet achieved Mara’s notoriety, and even if she had, the inhabitants of Vagrant Station tended to look favourably on those who stuck it to the Federation and the Protectorate. She wore a flamboyant dress and cowl of orange and gold, her curly hair pulled into an elaborate style and her dark skin dusted with something that made it shimmer with silver. Her full lips pulled into a moue of displeasure as Mara sat down opposite her. “You look like you’re going to a funeral.”</p><p>“Unlike you, I can’t draw attention to myself,” Mara said.</p><p>“Spoilsport.”</p><p>“I could have walked in brazenly and gotten my head taken off before I made it three steps,” Mara said, “But then I would’ve stood you up.”</p><p>“I suppose I shall have to reluctantly admit that this is better, then.” Selina leant back in her seat, and a lazy smile spread across her face. “Honestly, I’m surprised you came at all.”</p><p>“Dray’s been operating for a little over a year, and his body count’s already in the thousands,” Mara said. “I’d risk a lot to get an advantage over him. So,” she also leant back, crossing her arms across her chest. “What is it you want, Vestras?”</p><p>“What is it <em>I </em>want?”</p><p>“You can’t be planning to give me the information for free.”</p><p>“Oh, right.” If possible, Selina’s smile widened. “I want you to have dinner with me.”</p><p>Mara’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s it?”</p><p>“That’s it,” Selina confirmed, raising her hand to signal the waiter.</p><p>“You’re going to give me valuable information on one of the most wanted criminals in the galaxy, all in return for a meal.”</p><p>“I don’t know, a lot of people would pay good money for an evening with the famous Captain Day,” Selina said, raising her eyebrows in a very salacious manner. At the look Mara gave her, she laughed and said, “It only has to be a meal, Captain. Unless you <em>want </em>to get a room.”</p><p>“I meant it’d be wise not to say that name too loud,” Mara said flatly.</p><p>“I can see you’re going to be a tough nut to crack,” Selina said, still grinning. “No matter. I have all evening.”</p><p>Unable to hold back a sigh, Mara resigned herself to her fate. Dinner in exchange for information was a deal very much weighted in her favour, after all - unless Selina planned to poison her. She’d have to scan the food and drink before she ate it. “Very well. What exactly do they serve here?”</p><p>“You can’t tell me you’ve never been to Majarlah’s Palace, Captain!”</p><p>“I’ve seen it advertised plenty, but I’ve never been tempted to step inside,” Mara said, casting a significant look at the open hatch to the kitchen.</p><p>“Oh, they’re not that bad,” Selina said, unexpectedly leaning across the table to pat her hand. “Actually, I quite like the food here.” She snorted. “But then again, maybe it <em>is </em>terrible, after what you eat in the fancy restaurants on Stralamayer.”</p><p>Mara shook her head. “I don’t know what impression you have of my life, Vestras, but it doesn’t generally involve enough time for sit-down dinners in the capital. I’m lucky if I spend more than a week there before getting shipped off somewhere new, and my schedule doesn’t leave time for sightseeing.”</p><p>As a waiter came by and dropped off menus, Selina said, “You’re telling me you’ve been there so many times and you’ve never stopped by the Crystal Fountains? Or the Agleon Library?”</p><p>“Alright, well, the library I have seen. A Conclave Senator invited me to an orchestral performance held there.”</p><p>Selina clapped her hands once, looking satisfied. “Now, that’s more like it.”</p><p>“He just wanted to use my reputation to help promote his agenda; it was a very awkward evening,” Mara said, wincing at the memory.</p><p>“Did you wear a dress?”</p><p>Mara frowned, but stopped herself from asking why on earth Selina cared what she’d been wearing. “No, I wore my dress uniform. I don’t own a dress.”</p><p>“Pity. You’d look good in blue, I think,” Selina said, giving her another suggestive look.</p><p>Even though she was supposed to be playing nice, Mara couldn’t help but ask sharply, “Do you flirt this much at every information exchange?”</p><p>Selina’s smile was sly. “Only with you, <em>Captain</em>,” she said, then told the waiter, “I’ll have the orange siadi fish.”</p><p>“The goat,” Mara said, watching Selina warily. When the waiter was gone, they fell into a moment of quiet, and as much as Mara watched Selina, the other woman watched her right back.</p><p>“I didn’t actually expect you to come, you know,” Selina said quietly. “And I didn’t expect you to be this nice about it.”</p><p>“Diplomatic relations between the Federation and your faction have to start somewhere.”</p><p>Selina raised an eyebrow. “Our faction has a name, you know.”</p><p>“Apparently calling it by name adds legitimacy to your claim of being an entity separate from the Federation’s jurisdiction.”</p><p>“Do <em>you </em>think we shouldn’t be ‘an entity separate from the Federation’s jurisdiction’?” Selina asked, putting a mocking emphasis on the words.</p><p>Mara thought about it for a moment. “That’s for you to decide,” she said eventually, “I think you should allow your alliance to come under the jurisdiction of the Protectorate, simply for reasons of safety, and I think you should send ambassadors to the Conclave, to participate in galactic events. I think you should receive just reparations from the Federation for the shoddy way they handled the settlement process, and I don’t think anyone should die in a pointless war to satisfy shareholders.”</p><p>The more Mara spoke, the more Selina looked like all her Christmasses had come at once. “So you agree with us,” she breathed.</p><p>“I agree that allowing corporations such free rein in their development of the colonies meant a lot of corners were cut, at severe cost to human life and safety,” Mara said carefully. “Unfortunately my enthusiasm for peace talks doesn’t seem to be shared by my superiors.”</p><p>“Of course not,” Selina snorted, “The corporations own the Federation; what they want is what the Federation wants. Humans don’t get to be highly ranked officers in the Protectorate without the Federation’s backing, so the corporations have their greedy little fingers dug into the Protectorate too.”</p><p>“They certainly hold a huge amount of influence,” Mara said carefully.</p><p>“Dress it up how you like,” Selina said, shrugging.</p><p>There was a long moment of awkward silence, during which a waiter appeared with their meals. Selina’s eyes fell immediately to her food, which gave Mara an opening to covertly scan her plate. The food came up clear of contaminants, even of the kind that might come from a lack of cleanliness in the kitchen. Mara had only taken a few bites when she felt compelled to ask, “Would the SAA be willing to enter negotiations with the Federation?”</p><p>Selina lifted her eyes and regarded her warily over the table. “If we walked away at the end of them with our independence,” she said slowly. “But the Federation isn’t going to let that happen without a fight, are they?”</p><p>“You can’t fight the Federation, Vestras.”</p><p>“Who says?” Selina snapped, her eyes flashing with challenge.</p><p>“I do,” Mara said, suddenly feeling a weariness that seemed to have taken hold within the very marrow of her bones. “And as a starship captain with nearly twenty years military experience, I think my opinion holds some weight in the matter. With the Protectorate on their side, the Federation is too strong. The Protectorate don’t need any fancy tactics; they’d beat you on numbers alone.”</p><p>“And you’d help them,” Selina said. Her eyes bored into Mara’s; her fork lay forgotten on her plate.</p><p>Mara looked away. “I would request that the <em>Snowfire </em>be assigned to another sector, but I don’t choose my assignments.”</p><p>Again, the silence stretched.</p><p>All Mara could think of to break it was, “But if you could bring something to the negotiating table- I don’t know, a trade deal-”</p><p>“And become owned by the corporations in all but name,” Selina said flatly.</p><p>“I don’t know - I’m not a politician. All I know is it’s your best chance of getting out of this with the SAA still intact, <em>and </em>without bloodshed.” Mara looked back down at her food and began to eat again, half-heartedly hoping the eye-watering spices might make her feel better.</p><p>Selina didn’t move to pick up her fork, and after a long moment of watching Mara eat, she said, “Why do you work for them, Day?”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“The Federation.”</p><p>“I don’t; I work for the Protectorate.”</p><p>Selina shook her head. “Come on.”</p><p>“It’s true,” Mara said. “At the end of the day, the Protectorate controls us. The Protectorate provides our ships, our armour, guns, food, water, pay. The Federation government is one side of the triangle - and they contribute a lot of money to fund the Protectorate - but they never have the final call.”</p><p>“It’s almost sweet that you believe in them so much,” Selina said.</p><p>Mara pointed an accusing fork at her. “The Protectorate is the only reason the Federation hasn’t declared war on you yet, so you could stand to be a bit more respectful. The Federation hasn’t yet been able to prove the SAA is a threat to the entirety of Conclave space, so they haven’t got enough support among the letheri and jatlocar to take us to war.” Mara grimaced. “A situation which your little theft of the <em>Astralancer </em>has put into jeopardy, by the way.”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“The top brass is divided into those who say it makes you little better than pirates, and those who say you’re building up an army to attack Conclave space. Either way, it didn’t exactly improve your image.”</p><p>“So you’re wondering why we did it?”</p><p>“I’ve been wondering that since it happened.”</p><p>Selina gave her a smug smile. “That would be telling.”</p><p>Mara shrugged and looked back down at her food. She hadn’t figured she’d get the answer to that one, no matter how cooperative Selina was being.</p><p>“That’s the point at which you’re supposed to ask, ‘What can I give you in return for the information, Selina?’”</p><p>“I don’t really care why you want it,” Mara said, though she kind of did. “Mostly I care about where it is, and how I can get it back. I assume you didn’t use it to come here.”</p><p>“Pfft. You’re boring,” Selina pouted.</p><p>“So I’ve been told. I’m honestly more surprised you thought I’d be interesting.” When Mara glanced up, Selina was looking at her with an expression of surprise. “What?”</p><p>“You-” Selina shook her head. “You’re <em>the </em>Mara Day. Hero of Culleden, Scourge of the Tivali Pirate Lords? Only human to ever be accepted into a jatlocar sisterhood? Do any of these ring a bell?”</p><p>Mara shifted awkwardly in her seat and rubbed her thumb along one of the scars on her cheek, a bad habit she’d been trying to curb ever since they’d healed enough that she could touch them without pain. “It’s not as grand as you make it sound.”</p><p>“No; it’s grander.” Selina sounded irritated. “You were my hero when I was a teenager, you know. I used to think my colony would always be safe, because Mara Day was hunting down the Pirate Lords one by one. I would look up at the sky and think about you and the rest of the Protectorate, and I thought you were <em>heroes</em>.” She gave a humourless smile. “Guess we all have stupid ideas when we’re teenagers, huh?”</p><p>Mara did some quick mental arithmetic. “So you’re really only… twenty six?”</p><p>“Twenty eight,” Selina corrected. She smirked, the ghost of her former good humour returning. “You don’t have to say ‘only’ like that. I’m not that much younger than you.”</p><p>Still, it felt strange to know that this woman who was now such a thorn in her side had once looked up to her. “What changed?” Mara asked.</p><p>“I discovered what the Protectorate is really like,” Selina said bitterly.</p><p><em>Maybe the two of us are too diametrically opposed to see eye to eye about anything after all. </em>Mara sighed as she looked back down at her plate, which was now empty. Across from her, Selina’s was still mostly full. “Just think about what I’ve said, Vestras,” she said, reaching into her pocket as she stood. “And I hope the next time we meet, it isn’t on opposite sides of a battlefield.”</p><p>Selina caught Mara’s wrist as she went to throw credit chits on the table. “It’s on me,” she said quietly.</p><p>For a second they paused there, caught, with Selina’s hand on Mara’s bare wrist, their eyes locked together. Her skin was warm and smooth.</p><p>Then Mara pulled her hand away, murmuring a hurried thanks as she left the table and pushed her way out of the restaurant, back into Vagrant Station’s busy crowd. It was only once she stepped back onto the <em>Snowfire </em>that she realised she hadn’t even checked to see if Selina had transferred her information.</p><p>/</p><p>It turned out Selina had transferred it some time between Mara leaving the restaurant and arriving back on the <em>Snowfire</em>; and it led her to a very high-profile information leak.</p><p>“Mr Jacob Fieldenberg, with the authority vested in me as an officer of the Protectorate, I hereby place you under arrest.”</p><p>The man in front of Mara sputtered, his head lashing from side to side to look for an escape route. He didn’t find one; this was far from the first time Mara had arrested someone. Out in the middle of the plaza, it had been easy enough to surround him, and his three bodyguards were even now mulishly pulling their hands away from their weapons, well aware that they were outnumbered. “This is an outrage,” Fieldenberg tried, but his voice was panicky rather than affronted. “You can’t arrest me without evidence!”</p><p>“Who said I didn’t have evidence?” Mara said, deadpan. “Palamos, read him his rights. Jones, Dai’jak, get him in the car.”</p><p>As her subordinates hauled the angrily remonstrating Fieldenberg away with Lieutenant Palamos following, reciting the extensive list of rights granted to criminal suspects by the Protectorate, Mara stepped back to stand by Calleana. “Can all of you recite that by heart?” she asked, nodding to Palamos.</p><p>“We begin memorising relevant sections of the Protectorate and Conclave law codes in our first year of education. By fifteen, members of the Warrior Caste are expected to be able to recite all the key sections of Protectorate law,” Calleana said. “The letheri wrote half of those codes; we are quite rightly proud of them.”</p><p>Calleana’s poise was, as always, exquisite; but Mara had known her long enough now to know that something was bothering her. “What’s eating you?”</p><p>There was a pause as the translator chip in Calleana’s ear parsed the human slang into terms she’d understand. “This arrest may not go down well among the senior members of the Federation.”</p><p>“I don’t answer to the Federation.”</p><p>“Yes, you are always extremely clear on that point, Captain. Deutouros Exalias would be proud to know his ideals live on in you,” Calleana said, referring to the legendary letheri founder of the Protectorate. Mara wasn’t sure if she meant that statement to be wry or admiring - or maybe a little of both. “What I mean is, even though Vestras gave you this information in the hope of hampering Drey’s activities, the fact that it led to arresting a prominent Federation businessman may give those who are against the peace talks more ammunition.”</p><p>“The data proved pretty conclusively that he was guilty,” Mara said. “Funding a Pirate Lord to take out your business rivals isn’t the kind of behaviour the Federation can defend.”</p><p>“That won’t stop them, Captain.”</p><p>Mara closed her eyes. Yet again, she could feel a headache coming on. “I know.”</p><p>Unexpectedly, Calleana’s hand came to rest on her shoulder. Her voice was awkward when she said, “You’re an idealist, Captain. It would be nicer if everyone thought like you.”</p><p>Mara snorted. Yes, even with her years of experience and layers of tired dry humour, injustice and corruption still rankled with thirty-seven year old Captain Mara Day the same as they had with the bright-eyed, brazen eighteen year old Ensign she’d once been. “Are you really patting my shoulder, Commander.”</p><p>“I’ve been reliably informed that humans are comforted by physical contact, Captain.”</p><p>“Yes, it’s very soothing. Now knock it off.”</p><p>“Yes, Captain.”</p><p>By this point the skycar with Fieldenberg inside was well on it’s way to the Protectorate precinct office, and they would be expected there soon; Mara had forwarded her evidence to all relevant authorities, but there was still the requisite mountain of paperwork to fill out. Still, for a moment Mara let herself pause, leaning against the edge of the plaza and looking out at the city spread below. Prosperity was one of humanity’s oldest and most well-developed colonies, and all the metal and glass of it’s capital was glowing red and gold below them as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The air was warm, filled with the noise of the city, and Mara didn’t notice that Calleana had started speaking to someone on her comm until she heard her XO say, “Of course, we’ll be right there. No, don’t wait, start the engines. Yes. See you soon.”</p><p>“I’m guessing I’ll be making excuses to the precinct chief,” Mara said as she turned back.</p><p>Calleana’s expression was urgent. “We’ve received two distress calls, Captain.”</p><p>Mara motioned her toward the skycar. As they got in and the private in the driver’s seat started the engine, Calleana explained, “The first signal is from Abasat, a small Delsahi colony, reporting an attack by pirates. The second is from the <em>Iron Hammer</em>, which has been severely damaged in their attempt to fend off the pirates.”</p><p>Mara frowned. “Abasat is two jumps from here. Why are we the ones responding?”</p><p>“Because the planet is beyond the Hsua Veil, and the two nearest Protectorate vessels don’t have sufficient kinetic barriers to make it through an asteroid field of that size. The <em>Bounty </em>will have to stick close behind the <em>Snowfire </em>while crossing it to avoid damage,” Calleana said, naming the light cruiser that formed the largest part of <em>Snowfire’s </em>escorting force. “Our other ships will have to shelter in <em>Snowfire’s </em>hangar.”</p><p>A memory was tugging at Mara’s mind, and it’s implications were unpleasant. “The <em>Iron Hammer </em>is only a light destroyer, isn’t it?” she said.</p><p>“Yes. I’ve no doubt they sustained damage from the crossing; not enough to disable them, but they would not have been fighting at full capacity. Their chance of survival is uncertain.”</p><p>Mara cursed under her breath.  “What’s Abasat’s defence like?”</p><p>“They have a small fleet, a planetary shield, and some defence cannons.” Calleana’s voice was grim, and for good reason; pirates capable of taking on a Protectorate warship, even a damaged one, would make short work of a colony fleet and defence towers. The planetary shield would hold them up, but not for long. </p><p>The skycar, taking a priority lane reserved for the Protectorate, got them to the dock in record time, where the rest of their party and their shuttle was waiting for them. Mara and Calleana brainstormed a plan of action on the ride up into orbit, the shuttle jerking and shuddering as it burned through the atmosphere and raced toward the space dock, bringing the enormous sleek bulk of the <em>Snowfire </em>into view. The roar of her engines was silent in space, but blue fire was already pouring from her thrusters. Mara was infinitely glad she hadn’t allowed any of the crew to disembark aside from the party that had arrested Fieldenberg.</p><p>Neither of them said anything, but Mara was sure a suspicion was growing in Calleana’s mind just as it was in hers. They had struck at Dray, severing a key line of funding; this could easily be Dray’s retaliatory attack.</p><p>/</p><p>Waiting through a jump was always torture when Mara knew there was a battle waiting at the other end. It was worse now, as they crawled at sublight speed through the asteroid field, blue-purple shimmers coruscating all about the <em>Snowfire’s </em>hull as the kinetic barriers warded off huge chunks of serenely floating rock. Mara paced in the space before the observation screens like a caged tiger, the bridge silent behind her.</p><p>“You’re too tense, Captain,” Calleana said in an undertone as Mara passed by.</p><p>“I know,” Mara grunted - but knowing it didn’t ease any of the tension in her shoulders.</p><p>It was both a relief and an injection of white-hot adrenaline when Monroe, the navigations officer, announced, “Leaving the asteroid field, Captain.”</p><p>“Run silent,” Mara said immediately, and within a few seconds the <em>Snowfire’s </em>stealth systems had engaged. Their usage was limited, which meant she now had no more than ten minutes to take advantage of them - but in a battle like this, those ten minutes could be all she needed. “Enemy contacts?” Mara asked, as she moved back toward the holoprojector in the centre of the bridge.</p><p>Ruby brought up a tactical starmap and said, “Just under one hundred enemy contacts of different starship classes, Captain, many of them fighters.”</p><p>But quite a few much larger, Mara thought, looking at the tactical display. A green circle with a hazy, flickering shroud about it represented Abasat, showing that their planetary shield was still standing. Red dots littered the map, signifying the enemy contacts; the pirates had dispersed a little around the planet, trying to spread their bombardment and weaken the shield. There was no sign of the planetary defence fleet, or the <em>Iron Hammer</em>.</p><p>“Tell me they haven’t vapourised the <em>Hammer</em>,” Mara said to no one in particular.</p><p>Their scans officer, Yalras, was a mournful-faced letheri; after several seconds his slow voice answered, “Picking up weapons fire around one of the other planets in system, Captain.”</p><p>“Show it,” Mara said, and the holomap view shifted. It showed a featureless planet orbited by one moon, and for a second the only thing the scanners picked up was the blue-hued arcs of weapons discharge; then three ships fizzled into view on one side of the planet, firing at another, larger ship that was clearly trying to put the planet between them and it. After a second an ID tag popped up, confirming that the retreating ship was the <em>Iron Hammer</em>.</p><p>Mara said, “Show me the whole thing,” and the display zoomed out, Abasat appearing once again. Her eyes flickered over it, mind working in that particular cold, blazing overdrive she was only able to tap during a battle, always aware of the invisible timer ticking down until their stealth drives ran dry. The shape of a plan formed in her mind, and she hesitated only a second before saying, “Helm, bring us closer to Abasat; Weapons, fire up the main cannon. <em>Bounty</em>, once we fire, use the distraction to slip out of our wake and over to help the <em>Iron Hammer</em>.”</p><p>Even as the commander of the <em>Bounty </em>confirmed, Weapons officer Ajsaos asked, “What’s our target, Captain?”</p><p>“The <em>Harvester-</em>class,” Mara said, allowing herself a small smile.</p><p>It was the largest ship in the pirate’s fleet, almost the size of a Protectorate light cruiser like the <em>Bounty</em>. Mara’s heart had jumped the moment she’d seen it; she knew it was the flagship of Drey’s little armada, the <em>Red Fang</em>. She and other Protectorate vessels had been trying to bring it down for months, but the ship rarely made an appearance in active combat. Even now it was surrounded by a small flotilla of outriders and a swarm of fighters; but one surprise strike from <em>Snowfire’s </em>main cannon should punch through all that like so much chaff. Maybe not enough to bring the <em>Red Fang </em>down in one hit, but certainly enough to do some damage.</p><p>“Time on the stealth drive?” Mara asked.</p><p>“Five minutes, Captain.”</p><p>“And the main cannon?”</p><p>“Two, ma’am,” Lieutenant Ajsaos said.</p><p>It was agonising, to wait while just watching the pirates continue to rain fire down on Abasat. They couldn’t even comm Abasat’s defence force without the risk of giving themselves away. Mara drummed her fingers against the side of the holoprojector.</p><p>“Once we reveal ourselves we’ll be in a tough situation,” Calleana said quietly.</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“If the pirates don’t turn and run-”</p><p>“We’ll just have to hope that they do.”</p><p>Calleana said nothing more. She wouldn’t have answered the distress call if she hadn’t thought they could win; but she was, as always, the voice of reason. There were nearly a hundred ships out there; Mara had only the <em>Snowfire</em>, her two smaller sister vessels, <em>Snowblind </em>and <em>Snowstorm</em>, and the <em>Bounty</em>. If Drey could convince his little herd of pirates to risk their ships by standing their ground, they might be in trouble.</p><p>“Main cannon ready, Captain.”</p><p>Mara breathed out slowly. This was the moment of no return.</p><p><em>For the Protectorate</em>, she thought, and she said, “Fire at will, main cannon.”</p><p>The energy beam from <em>Snowfire’s </em>main cannon ripped across the darkness of space, ploughing its way through several ships and taking out <em>Red Fang’s </em>engines in one solid hit. The vessel was tough, and didn’t break apart; but it was now a useless, motionless hulk, dead in space.</p><p>They had no time to savour the victory; the <em>Snowfire’s </em>stealth drives had dropped, and the moment of confusion would only last so long. Mara saw the <em>Bounty </em>slipping away as instructed even as she said, “Power up main cannon again, Weapons, and prepare all forward batteries. Hangar, prepare to launch fighters. <em>Snowblind</em>, <em>Snowstorm</em>, prepare all forward weapons; we hit them hard and fast and hope we make them break.” <em>And pray, pray that they do.</em></p><p>The fastest vessels in the pirate fleet were able to turn and begin firing on them almost immediately, but it took a minute or so for the larger, more cumbersome ships to follow suit. Mara made them pay for it, hammering them with weapons fire as they slowly came about. The main cannon roared to life one more time, exploding a <em>Raven</em>-class barque in a storm of blue-purple fire, and frying small fighters in it’s path like mosquitoes in a fly zapper.</p><p>Still, there were several larger vessels still moving when the fleet finally completed its about-turn. This was the pinch point Mara had anticipated. The <em>Snowfire’s </em>cannon could cut through the low-grade shields the pirates used like wet paper, but it could only be fired once every few minutes without frying the systems - and in a battle like this, every second counted. The <em>Snowfire </em>was only one ship against many, and even her military-grade shielding would only hold out against the concentrated barrage from the pirate fleet for so long. Once their shields were low, they would have to try putting a physical barrier between them and the fleet, like the <em>Iron Hammer</em> had attempted with the nearby planet. Jumping to FTL was technically also an option, but with the Hsua Veil on one side and uncharted space on the other, their margin for error was very narrow.</p><p>“<em>Snowblind, Snowstorm, </em>focus on that carrier,” Mara said, even as <em>Snowfire’s </em>shields began to glimmer brighter as they repelled more and more weapons fire.</p><p>What followed was a grim battle of attrition. The pirate fleet quickly decided to move their larger, slower vessels to the other side of Abasat, where they’d be harder for the <em>Snowfire’s </em>main cannon to hit. Mara had no choice but to follow; she couldn’t allow the bigger vessels free rein to bombard Abasat’s shields while she was stuck trying to swat the fighters and small haulers like annoying little flies. <em>Snowfire, Snowstorm </em>and <em>Snowblind </em>released a great flock of their own fighters to deal with the enemy, allowing the larger Protectorate ships to follow the pirates; but Mara couldn’t get too close, couldn’t allow herself to be drawn into a trap. She and the Weapons team also had to align their shots just right; a few stray hits from their main cannon would see <em>them </em>taking down Abasat’s planetary shield instead of the pirates.</p><p>The comms crackled while they were lining up another shot around the blue-green rim of Abasat’s shield, trying to hit a large freighter that was hauling ass to get away from their line of fire. “We’ve destroyed the <em>Iron Hammer’s </em>pursuers, Captain,” said the voice of Commander Jones, captain of the <em>Bounty</em>. “Shall we rejoin the fight?”</p><p>Mara wet her lips, scanning the displays around her. One of them was displaying a worrying fifty per cent shield integrity, which dropped to forty nine even as she watched. They were going to need an exit strategy, and Abasat was going to need backup - soon. “Stay where you are, Commander,” she said, “If we have to retreat, we need you to cover our backs.”</p><p>“Understood, Captain.”</p><p>Ajsaos gave her a signal, and Mara nodded, watching the green blaze of the main cannon’s energy beam arc through space as she said, “What’s the situation with the <em>Iron Hammer</em>?”</p><p>“They’re still moving, though badly damaged. Whole sections of her superstructure are open to vacuum, so we’ve taken on a good number of her personnel for safety. She’s in no condition to fight, Captain.”</p><p>“Can she jump to FTL?”</p><p>“They’re working on it now, ma’am.”</p><p>“Alright, just-”</p><p>Mara’s sentence was cut off by an explosion of light on the tactical map, and Ruby’s diplomatically worried tones saying, “<em>Snowstorm’s </em>shield integrity is at zero per cent, Captain. She’s taken a heavy hit.”</p><p>“Drop us down to cover her,” Mara said instantly, and she could feel the lurch even through the inertia dampeners as the <em>Snowfire </em>jinked down and left to cover her smaller sister ship. “<em>Snowblind</em>, form up. <em>Bounty, </em>prime your weapons. Get me through to Lieutenant Iosfa, Ruby.”</p><p>Mara could hear a lot of whining sirens and alarms as the commanding officer of the <em>Snowstorm </em>came onto comms. “We’ve lost a massive section of the forward hangar, Captain- hull integrity is shaky- nowhere for the fighters to dock-” The letheri woman was panting, her voice strained as she summed up the damage.</p><p>“Are you hurt, Lieutenant?”</p><p>“Fell- wrist likely broken. About to get a painkiller.”</p><p>“Do what you can, we’ll cover you,” Mara said, looking back to the tactical display. A swarm of fighters with a mess of green and red ID tags were still engaged in a hundred different dogfights all over the map, while most of the larger ships had used the <em>Snowfire’s </em>distraction to move out of firing range. Except one, now peeking out around the planet-</p><p>“Strengthen forward shields,” Mara said, a second before a large energy round screamed toward them and burst in sparking halos of white light across their shields. “They’ve been holding that one back,” Mara said grimly.</p><p>“Shields are now at forty per cent, Captain,” their defence officer said, a worried note in her voice.</p><p>Mara wiped a hand across her brow, hissing between her teeth. Any other group of pirates would have broken and run after taking so many losses, but something about Drey was keeping them here. Debts? Threats? The promise of riches? Whatever it was, it looked like her gamble wasn’t going to work. “We need to retreat,” she said, refusing to let her shoulders slump in defeat. “All ships, start moving back toward the <em>Bounty</em>. Comms, get on the long-range and see if you can find <em>anyone </em>to come back us up here.”</p><p>Ruby’s cool voice cut through the mess of ‘affirmative’ and ‘aye aye ma’am’. “You have a call, Captain.”</p><p>“From who?”</p><p>“The commander of the opposing force.”</p><p><em>Drey</em>. There was no way this was a surrender or offer of peace; he probably just wanted to mock her. Still, Mara opened the line of communication. “What the fuck do you want, Drey?”</p><p>“Just to hear your dulcet tones, Captain.” Drey’s voice was a rough and careworn drawl, and he sounded amused. “Gotta admit, this was a damn ballsy move. If I had a couple more captains like you, I’d have taken twice the territory by now.”</p><p>“Regrettably I’ll have to turn down the offer of joining your crew. Again.”</p><p>“You might not get another opportunity, Captain. Your chances of making it out of this one are looking pretty thin.”</p><p>“I’ll play the odds, thanks.”</p><p>Mara heard him take a long drag on his cigar. “Well, I just wanted to let you know I’ll still be playing by the same old rules. Disable rather than kill. Just in case you were thinking of blowing yourself to hell.” He took another drag. “Unless you’d like to surrender right now, of course.”</p><p>“No, thank you.”</p><p>“Well, suit yourself. I reckon I can get a good chunk of ransom money for you, so don’t go dying on me.” The call cut off.</p><p> <em>Disable rather than kill. </em>Mara felt her mouth draw into a thin line. Letting Drey disable the <em>Snowfire </em>and drag it back to his base for repairs would be a disaster for the Protectorate; a capital ship in the hands of a man like Drey was a terrifying thought to contemplate. Likewise, he’d rather take the crew captive than kill them. It was a common pirate scam to sell captured soldiers for huge ransoms; the Protectorate generally wouldn’t pay, but families had been known to go into horrendous debt to get their loved ones back. The smart ones took precautions to make sure their relatives actually made it back to them alive, while the less fortunate ended up paying thousands and thousands of credits for someone who’d already been blown out an airlock.</p><p>The <em>Snowfire </em>and her sister ships had been backpedalling toward the <em>Bounty </em>and the small rocky planet she was hiding behind as Mara spoke with Drey. He’d held off firing at them while they talked; but now the ship he’d been holding in reserve let loose again, sending another scattering burst of light across their shields. “Thirty seven per cent, Captain,” defence said grimly.</p><p>“They’ll follow us behind this planet,” Mara said, “Get ready to take them out as soon as they come in range, <em>Bounty</em>.”</p><p>“Yes, ma’am.”</p><p>“And make sure they-”</p><p>The scans officer cut across her, saying urgently, “Several new ships have entered the system, Captain.”</p><p>Mara couldn’t help but let out an explosive curse. <em>That’s why Drey was so fucking confident - he had more people coming. </em>There was no way they could hold off or hide from a second wave of pirates; they’d have to risk a jump to FTL. Mara felt sick to her stomach, thinking about the people they were leaving to Drey’s mercy on Abasat, but she had a duty to her crew. “All ships, prepare to jump to FTL,” she said, unable to keep a note of exhaustion from her voice.</p><p>As everyone scrambled to obey this command, Ruby said, “One of the newly arrived ships is hailing us, Captain.”</p><p>“I haven’t got time for any more of Drey’s bullshit,” Mara snapped.</p><p>After a second of silence, Ruby said, “This vessel is registered to the separatist faction calling themselves the Spiral Arm Alliance.”</p><p>For a second Mara could do nothing but stare at the holographic display. “From the SAA?” she said slowly.</p><p>“Yes, Captain. Shall I allow the call?”</p><p>Mara felt as though her mind were moving through treacle. Why were the SAA here? How had they even known Abasat was in danger?</p><p>“Shall I allow the call, Captain?” Ruby pressed.</p><p>Mara swallowed, and just nodded. </p><p>The voice that came over the comm was buoyant and bright and, of course, familiar. “Guess who?” she trilled, “The cavalry has arrived!”</p><p>Mara swallowed down a sudden thickness in her throat. “Vestras?”</p><p>“Who did you think?” She sounded casual and breezy, as if unconcerned that she and her little fleet had just jumped into an active warzone.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Mara asked.</p><p>“Isn’t it obvious? We’re here to save you!”</p><p>“The SAA fleet is moving onto an intercept path with the pirate vessels, Captain,” Ruby said, which was redundant, since Mara could see as much on the tactical map.</p><p>Mara bit her lip, warring with herself. Pulling back and leaving the pirates to Vestras might be the push needed to get Drey’s criminal rabble to turn tail and run; but the SAA were more than likely here for more nefarious reasons than saving the <em>Snowfire </em>and her companions. After all, a salvaged Protectorate capital ship would be just as problematic in the hands of Vestras as it would with Drey.</p><p>Still, there was no way she could fight Vestras <em>and </em>Drey. Mara’s fleet needed to pull out of the fight, so she had little choice but to allow Vestras to do as she liked.</p><p>Calleana had appeared behind her, and she leant over to say quietly into her ear, “Letting them take on the pirates would give us time to prepare a safe jump to FTL.”</p><p><em>And prove to them that the Protectorate is just as willing to use them as the Federation</em>, Mara thought; but if she wanted to keep her crew alive, that was one surefire strategy. She sighed. “We’re pulling back behind this planet, Vestras,” she said into the comm, “If I had to guess, I’d say Drey is on that <em>Razer</em>-class in the centre there.”</p><p>“We’ll take care of it, babe,” Selina said, and Mara could almost hear her wink. Mara signalled Ruby to close the comm channel, then turned to watch the tactical map.</p><p>The SAA fleet had arrived from somewhere on the other side of Abasat, and they were now angling toward the flank of the pursuing pirate forces. It was, Mara had to admit, perfect timing; in following her toward Abasat’s neighbouring planet, Drey’s vessels had mostly left the sheltering bulk of Abasat behind, and were now hanging in the open space between the two planets like targets on a shooting range. They were turning to get a bead on the SAA fleet, but Selina’s vessels were already opening up. They would have at least a minute before the larger ships could get an angle on them, and just as Mara had done when she first entered the system, Selina was going to use it.</p><p>Still, Mara breathed a sigh of relief when the <em>Snowfire </em>and her sister ships finally made it behind the bulk of the planet they’d been running toward. “Recall all fighters,” she said, “What’s the status on that FTL jump, <em>Bounty</em>? And can we get a direct line to <em>Iron Hammer</em>?”</p><p>It felt strange to be watching a battle without participating - and though she’d never have said it aloud, Mara was nervous. Despite all the trouble she caused, she didn’t want Selina Vestras to die. As she received updates from Jones and the harried captain of the <em>Iron Hammer</em>, she watched the battle play out on the tactical map. There was no question that, fresh to the battle and with a greater proportion of large ships, the SAA were winning, but it still looked like a tough fight. Several questions were running through her head - namely, what was so important about Abasat that Drey wanted it so badly, and where had Vestras even got the many ships from - as she scanned the battlefield. She narrowed her eyes. After a second of turning the map this way and that, measuring times and distances, she said, “Have we got the capacity to run the stealth drive again?”</p><p>After a second her engineering officer answered, “We could get away with a few minutes, Captain, but it’d be taxing.”</p><p><em>In for a penny, in for a pound</em>. “Do it,” she commanded, “Helm, as soon as we’re running silent, begin moving us on the course I’m about to send you.”</p><p>After a second the helm confirmed. He sounded dubious, but it was Calleana who voiced his doubts. “We’re moving into the battle again, Captain?” she asked.</p><p>“I think we can get in one final shot,” Mara said, showing Calleana the green line she’d plotted across the map. “Do you see?”</p><p>Calleana raised the bony ridges above her eyes in an expression that Mara knew her XO had picked up from her. “It’s certainly bold.”</p><p>“When boldness is needed, the Protectorate shall sally forth,” Mara quoted.</p><p>Calleana sighed. “I am not sure how I feel about serving under the second coming of Deutouros Exalias,” she said, “But you are, as always, my captain.”</p><p>“You honour me with the strength of your faith,” Mara said, knowing Calleana’s translator chip would pick that up and transform it into the formal letheri warrior’s acknowledgement it was meant to be.</p><p>“And you’re too sentimental for a captain who hasn’t won yet,” Calleana said, but Mara could hear the rough note in her voice. “Eyes on the tactical map, Captain.”</p><p>“Yes ma’am,” Mara said, grinning at her before turning around.</p><p>They were now coming out of the planet’s shadow, and the stealth drives were holding. Mara didn’t know if they’d fool Drey, but she hoped that, with his attention focused on Vestras, he wouldn’t have noticed the <em>Snowfire </em>slip off the radar. “Warm up the main cannon,” she said, anticipation tingling under her skin like electricity. “Helm, Weapons, make sure your angle is exact; vapourising one of those SAA ships would be a political nightmare.”</p><p>“Aye aye, ma’am.”</p><p>They inched closer to the position Mara had marked on the map, the bridge going still and silent as they crept closer. Everyone could see what Mara was aiming for now, and it felt like they were all holding their breath as the <em>Snowfire </em>slipped through space, willing their target not to move. The helmsman’s voice was nearly a whisper when he finally said, “In position, Captain.”</p><p>“Weapons, fire at will,” Mara said, her voice low and tight.</p><p>Ajsaos had been lining up her shot for several minutes; all she had to do was hit ‘confirm’.</p><p>A final burst of green energy screamed away from the mouth of their main cannon; seconds later, Drey’s <em>Razer</em>-class was enveloped in a corona of green fire.</p><p>No one openly cheered, but Mara heard everyone release a breath, and several hisses of <em>yes </em>and similar under people’s breath. Mara allowed herself a moment to slump against the nearest console in relief. Surely, now, the battle was over.</p><p>It seemed she’d guessed right. The pirate fleet began to break apart as soon as it was clear the <em>Razer-</em>class was dead in space, with vessels turning tail and rabbiting to FTL so fast that Mara was sure a few would end up misjudging it, hitting the asteroid field or launching themselves into uncharted space. Still, they were just small fry; Mara’s attention was now on the <em>Razer</em>-class, which hung uselessly in space, it’s engines blown apart by the well-placed cannon strike.</p><p>The comm crackled into life again. “Leave it to you to have the final word,” Selina said. She almost sounded like she was pouting.</p><p>“I guess I can’t help myself,” Mara said. She was surprised to find she was smiling. “We’ll take care of Drey from here. The Federation would probably like me to arrest you, but given the circumstances, I think that would probably be a little rude.”</p><p>“You mean considering I saved your ass?”</p><p>Mara rolled her eyes. “I’m saying you can feel free to make your escape, Vestras.”</p><p>“Not on your life,” Selina said, and for a moment nerves kicked to life in Mara’s stomach at the thought that the SAA fleet might turn on them now that they were done with the pirates. Then Selina said, “I’ll see you on planet, <em>Captain</em>. Later!”</p><p>“But how-” Mara started, before the comm call cut off. She shook her head. “Commander, prepare a boarding team to take Drey into custody,” she said to Calleana, “Ruby, get me the casualty lists from <em>Iron Hammer </em>and <em>Snowstorm</em>, we’ll need them for the reports. Comms, get me in touch with Abasat’s defence force.”</p><p>It took a while for the contact to Abasat to go through. Mara moved toward the forward observation screens as she waited, watching Drey’s ship come closer. Fireteam Marshall were suiting up below to board and take anyone aboard into custody; meanwhile the <em>Snowfire </em>was creeping up behind the ship, making sure they were out of range of any still-active weapons.</p><p>Eventually the comms came alive again. The Delsahi’s particular mouth and throat shape made their voices sound thick and strained to human ears, even through a translator chip, but this speaker was still understandable. “Captain, we can’t thank you enough for your help,” the voice said immediately, “You came just in time. Our planetary shield is, how do you humans say…on it’s last feet?”</p><p>“Last legs,” Mara said, “I’m glad it held, but I’m sorry, you must have lost ships before we came.”</p><p>“We pulled them back inside the shield when we saw the size of the attacking force,” the Delsahi said, which made a small knot of tension release inside Mara’s gut. “Captain, if there’s anything we can do to help, please say the word. Your companion fleet have already been in contact asking if they can put in at our shipyards for repairs. We’re lowering the shield now to allow them in.”</p><p>“Our companion fleet?” Mara questioned.</p><p>“The ships led by Commodore Vestras?”</p><p>Mara resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. “Right. They’re a private interest, not Protectorate, so treat them accordingly. We’ll have to take our ships back to spacedock beyond the Veil, so…” <em>So we’ll be moving on quickly</em>, she meant to say, but for some reason Selina’s words were stuck in her head. <em>I’ll see you on planet, Captain</em>.</p><p><em>I am supposed to be promoting peace between us, </em>she thought, but it felt like an excuse even in her head. “I need to speak with… <em>Commodore </em>Vestras face to face,” Mara said, glad Calleana wasn’t here to hear her say it, “So I’ll need to come down to planet for a few hours.”</p><p>/</p><p>Just over two hours later, with Drey and his surviving crew securely in the brig, and her own crew making repairs that would ensure <em>Snowstorm </em>and <em>Iron Hammer </em>made it back to port safely, Mara stepped out of a shuttle and onto the surface of Abasat. It was a hot, humid world, just as the Delsahi liked it. Above her head the sky was a clear, azure blue, and around her a traditional Delsahi garden-city was laid out in loose concentric rings, so full of plant-life that it was hard to see the buildings. It was hard to believe the colony had only been founded five years ago; the Delsahi had done a lot of work in a short space of time.</p><p>She said as much to the guide who came to meet her at the spaceport, causing him to turn a delicate shade of purple. “We do what we can, Captain,” he said modestly. “Please, a skycar is waiting.”</p><p>Of course, the minute she’d expressed an interest in landing on their planet, Mara hadn’t been able to get out of meeting with the small council that formed the colony’s government. They were all very eager to thank her, which was both nice and exhausting in equal measure - but they did serve good snacks.</p><p>By the time she got out of the council chamber, the sun had dipped mostly below the horizon. As she stood on the steps, Mara realised that she still had no idea where Selina was. “I don’t suppose you know the whereabouts of Commodore Vestras,” she asked her guide.</p><p>“I do not,” he said, “but I could enquire with the spaceport.”</p><p>A few quick questions revealed that Selina had been through the spaceport earlier in the day, and had left the very confused manager of her docking bay a note saying that she would be ‘waiting at the nearest water garden’. Despite herself, a smile pulled at Mara’s lips. Of course that was where she was.</p><p>The guide wanted to come with her, but Mara insisted that she would be fine alone. She had a navigation program on her handheld; after plugging into the colony’s network, the path to the water garden was clear enough. There were hundreds of them dotted around the city, and the sound of running water mingled with a hundred different scents from flowers and plants, creating a calming mixture that, after the tension and chaos of battle, suited Mara just fine. Lanterns were beginning to be lit as she stepped through the gates of the particular water park where Selina would be waiting. Mara stopped to make a gesture of respect to the statue just inside the entrance, and then went searching in the half-darkness.</p><p>Busts and murals of the Delsahi’s water goddess, Samaisa, were everywhere, though most were smaller and less beautiful than the one guarding the gate. The garden was riddled with streams and little bridges that crossed them, as well as deep, clear pools, in which there were still many Delsahi swimming or relaxing in the water. A human should have been easy to spot amongst them, but there was no sign of Selina.</p><p><em>Maybe I have the wrong place</em>, Mara thought - even as she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Enjoying the night life, Captain?” a familiar voice said at her ear.</p><p>Mara turned. Selina stood behind her, one hand on her cocked hip, grinning. Her teeth were very white in the lantern light. She had something of the look of a nineteenth century cowboy, with her long leather coat and wide-brimmed hat, gun slung in a holster on her hip.</p><p>“Yes,” Mara said honestly, “It’s very beautiful here.”</p><p>“I heard you once considered becoming a devotee of Samaisa,” Selina said.</p><p>“You’ve heard a lot about me, it seems.”</p><p>“I have my sources,” Selina said with a wink. When Mara’s answer was only a skeptical look, she pressed, “Well, did you?”</p><p>“Once.” She sighed, and changed the subject. “What did you call me here for, Vestras?”</p><p>In answer, Selina only gave her a mischievous look, and bounced away into the garden. She should have expected that it would be hard to get a straight answer out of Selina; still, Mara couldn’t help feeling amused rather than annoyed as she followed her.</p><p>“How did you know we were in trouble?” she called toward Selina’s back.</p><p>“Well, I would <em>love </em>to say I sensed you were in danger and came rushing to your aid,” Selina said, “But really we just picked up Abasat’s distress signal.”</p><p>“And you just came to help?” Mara asked incredulously.</p><p>Selina stopped to turn and point a finger at Mara’s chest. “We were close, we hate pirates, and they needed help. We’re not the selfish assholes the Federation say we are. Colonies out here look after each other.”</p><p>“I just meant it was quite the risk.”</p><p>Selina snorted. “Says the woman who launched gung-ho into battle with four ships and kept one of them in reserve.”</p><p>“You can take that kind of risk when you have a capital ship. Usually pirates turn and run after the first few cannon blows.”</p><p>“I hear Drey promised them they could have this world for their own,” Selina said, gesturing around at the beautiful gardens. “I can see why that’d be such an incentive.”</p><p>“They’d never be able to hold a world this close to a nagari hubworld. Amasa is only a short jump away.”</p><p>“I didn’t say the pirates were <em>smart</em>.”</p><p>Despite herself, Mara’s lips tugged up in a little smile. “Well, I guess what I should be saying is, thank you. You really did arrive at just the right moment out there.”</p><p>“Damn right.” Selina turned to her with raised eyebrows. “Maybe it was fate?”</p><p>“Maybe,” Mara allowed, which brought a delighted little smile to Selina’s face. “Whatever it was, I’m hoping I can use it to help argue your case the next time I talk to Admiral Lazaowski and the top brass.”</p><p>Selina’s smile turned into a pout. “You really like to talk nothing but business, huh?”</p><p>“I’m told I’m not good for anything else,” Mara said, which came out more bitter than she intended. Probably because it was something that had been hinted at, if not outright stated, by several ex-girlfriends.</p><p>When she looked at Selina, though, there was a sympathetic expression on her face. “They told me I wasn’t good for anything but working the switchboard,” she said, “and now I’m a <em>Commodore</em>. Shows what they know, huh?” She stuck out a finger. “And I can <em>see </em>you about to tell me that Commodore isn’t a real rank, to which I say, it is in the <em>SAA Navy</em>.”</p><p>“It’s an…archaic rank,” Mara allowed, smiling without meaning to.</p><p>“Not in the SAA Navy.”</p><p>“The SAA Navy where you made up the rank system?”</p><p>“When you go to the trouble of forming and organising an entire navy, Captain Day, I believe you get the privilege of naming your rank.”</p><p>“So you’re not an Admiral because…?”</p><p>“Because an <em>Admiral </em>has to be in charge of the whole fleet! Ugh, no thank you. I’ll leave that to Thomas.”</p><p>For some reason the disgusted expression on her face made Mara laugh. “I guess the advantage of assigning all the positions is you can choose to stay at the rank you like, yes.”</p><p>“As if you couldn’t be an Admiral if you wanted.”</p><p>“I’m too controversial to get promoted to Admiral, I think,” Mara said. “I’ll have to settle down a bit first. Even the letheri top ranks think I’m a loose cannon.”</p><p>“If you’re a loose cannon I’d hate to see the rest of the Protectorate,” Selina said. “Oh wait, I already have, and I hate them!”</p><p>“I’m <em>sure </em>what you mean is you just disagree with some of their methods.”</p><p>“Mmm,” Selina said, raising her eyebrows. Then she gave Mara a long look up and down and said, “I don’t hate their uniform designers, though.”</p><p>“I’ll be sure to bring that up in our next review,” Mara said dryly.</p><p>Selina sat down and stretched out on one of the finely carved stone benches that were placed here and there along the walkways. After a moment’s hesitation, Mara sat down beside her. “What <em>did </em>you call me here for, Vestras?” she asked again.</p><p>“Ah, you know I get sentimental. I just didn’t want you to leave without saying goodbye,” Selina said, but she was avoiding Mara’s gaze.</p><p>“Mhmm.” Mara gave her a look of disbelief.</p><p>There was a long moment where the only sound was leaves rustling in the hot air, and a stream trickling past behind their bench. “Well, it’s stupid,” Selina said, still not looking at her.</p><p>Mara decided saying <em>I’ve heard some very stupid things come out of your mouth </em>would probably be taken as an insult rather than a joke, and instead said, “I still want to hear it.”</p><p>Another second’s hesitation passed before Selina said, “I wanted… I wanted you to come with me.”</p><p>Mara blinked. That had not been what she expected. “Why?”</p><p>“I would’ve thought that’s obvious,” Selina said, gesturing between them.</p><p>Oh. Mara had mostly thought Selina’s flirting was the fun, frivolous type that meant nothing more than that she might be interested in a one night stand, if Mara could unbend enough to humour her. She hadn’t guessed it was anything more than that. “Ah.”</p><p>“Should’ve guessed you’d never want to leave the Protectorate, though.”</p><p>She didn’t - Mara had considered it before, but even with the opposition she faced from some quarters, there were still enough friends and allies to make staying in the Protectorate worthwhile, even before you counted her dedication to the organisation’s ideals. The idea of becoming a rogue starship captain like Selina, leader of her own little fleet, beholden to none, was attractive in the same way being a space pirate was attractive to a small child; fun to imagine, but not something she’d want in reality. Still…</p><p>“I don’t,” she said, “But there still hasn’t been any violence between the SAA and the Protectorate. If we can resolve this without bloodshed, then maybe…”</p><p>Selina gave her a sidelong glance that held both hope and anxiety. “Then?”</p><p>“Well, then I wouldn’t risk being arrested just for talking to you.”</p><p>“That would be nice,” Selina agreed. She bit her lip. “You really think you can make them see reason?”</p><p>“I’m damn well going to try.”</p><p>Selina was silent for a moment; then she scratched her nose and averted her gaze. “Well, thanks. For sticking up for us.”</p><p>“I mean, I mostly don’t want to get into a war. Wars are tiring,” Mara said, only half-joking.</p><p>“Ha ha.” A little smile curved Selina’s lips. “Would they actually arrest you just for talking to me?”</p><p>“I mean, I’d probably be in trouble. Then again, I’ll be in trouble anyway for letting you go without extracting the whereabouts of the <em>Astralancer </em>from you. Dear Mr Bellamy’s still making a mighty fuss about that.”</p><p>For a couple of seconds Selina didn’t speak; then she said, “Fine; I’ll tell you where the <em>Astralancer </em>is.”</p><p>Mara stared at her. “What?”</p><p>Her lips twisted. “If giving it back will help the SAA, then I’ll give it back. But on one condition.”</p><p>“What condition?”</p><p>Selina’s familiar smile returned. “I want to take you on a date.”</p><p>Mara blinked. “Really?”</p><p>“One hundred per cent serious, babe.”</p><p>“Where?”</p><p>“Oh, so your acceptance is conditional on being taken somewhere nice, huh?”</p><p>“I didn’t say that.”</p><p>“For your information, I haven’t decided, but be assured, it will be amazing.”</p><p>Somehow, Mara didn’t doubt it. “You do continue to surprise me.”</p><p>“This one will be a good surprise, promise.” Selina’s grin widened. “So are you saying yes?”</p><p>If it got the <em>Astralancer </em>back, it was a no-brainer. But more than that… Mara wanted to. She probably <em>shouldn’t </em>want to, but she didn’t have the energy left to deny that she did. “Despite the trouble it will probably get me into… yes. You have yourself a deal.”</p><p>“Shake on it.”</p><p>Mara held her hand out, and didn’t fail to notice that Selina took her time in taking, shaking, and releasing her hand. She let it pass without comment.</p><p>“The Pelgus system,” Selina said, “I’ll send your AI the exact coordinates.”</p><p>“Thank you.” Mara couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. “This’ll be quite something to shove in Lazaowski’s face. ‘Look what the power of patience and talking to people like an adult got me, Admiral’.”</p><p>Selina raised an eyebrow. “You really hate this guy, huh?”</p><p>“We… rarely see eye to eye,” Mara admitted.</p><p>“You should request a new manager.”</p><p>“I wish.”</p><p>They both laughed, and a moment of calm, comfortable quiet settled over them. It was fully night now, and the atmosphere was beautiful; Mara leant her head against the backrest of the bench and closed her eyes, breathing in the warm, fragrant night air. She could feel that Selina was watching her, but she didn't’ call her on it. It was a heady feeling, knowing someone wanted you, even if that same someone caused you no end of problems.</p><p>“You look like you needed the break,” Selina said, her voice soft.</p><p>“I always need a break. But when I stay still for too long, I get this itch in my bones, telling me to move on. So.”</p><p>“I know the feeling,” Selina said softly.</p><p>Mara didn’t mean to stay much longer; she had an arm-long list of things to do, and lingering in Selina’s presence was likely to get her in trouble. Still, the night was warm and calm, the sounds and smells soothing and peaceful. It was almost no surprise that, as exhausted as she was, Mara accidentally fell asleep.</p><p>She woke to someone gently touching her cheek. “I think your friends have come looking for you, Captain,” Selina’s voice whispered, very close to her face. “And I need to get going anyway. But you owe me a date, don’t forget it.”</p><p>“Right,” Mara mumbled, still groggy, “What?”</p><p>A soft giggle. “You’re cute, y’know.”</p><p>“First time I’ve ever been called that.”</p><p>“Well, hopefully not the last.” Lips pressed, fleeting and soft, to her lips. “I’ll be in touch, babe.”</p><p>Mara blinked her eyes open in time to catch Selina’s back disappearing among the garden’s thick foliage. It took her a second to remember where she was, and to realise that she must have fallen asleep; she had only just sat up when Calleana appeared in the space Selina had vacated, looking disapproving. “There you are,” she said, her tone matching her expression.</p><p>“Are we all ready to go?” Mara asked, hiding a yawn behind her hand.</p><p>“Yes. You should also know it’s been hours since you left the Council building, Captain.”</p><p>“I’d guessed as much.” Mara spread her arms and arched her back in a big stretch, then pushed herself up to her feet. “But I did also get something useful out of it.” While Calleana gave her a sceptical look, Mara tapped her wrist comm. “Ruby?”</p><p>“<em>Yes, Captain?</em>”</p><p>“Did you receive a set of coordinates while I’ve been on planet?”</p><p>“<em>They arrived over an hour ago, Captain</em>.”</p><p>“You didn’t tell me that,” Calleana groused.</p><p>“<em>The message was marked for the Captain’s eyes only.</em>”</p><p>“If Vestras has kept her word, those should be the coordinates for the <em>Astralancer</em>,” Mara said, and enjoyed the look of surprise that spread over Calleana’s face.</p><p>“There’s no way you got her to give that up,” her XO said.</p><p>“Apparently I’m discovering hitherto unknown powers of persuasion, Commander.” She gestured toward the entrance of the garden. “And I’d very much like to go investigate and see if my new friend is telling the truth. Coming?”</p><p>“If she’s been straight with you, I owe you a bottle of your foul human scotch,” Calleana said.</p><p>“Now <em>that’s </em>what your Captain likes to hear!”</p><p>/</p><p>The look of shock on Lazaowski’s face as he stood looking at the <em>Astralancer</em> was almost as good as the scowl Calleana had worn as the cashier had rung up a bottle of Mara’s favourite scotch for her an hour earlier. Mara didn’t know if she’d ever seen the man lost for words. It was only after a long half minute of staring that he managed to get out, “How…?”</p><p>“The power of diplomacy, Admiral,” Mara said, trying and failing not to sound smug.</p><p>That seemed to break him out of his trance; he turned to her with narrowed eyes and repeated, “<em>How</em>?” in a tone that demanded a clear answer.</p><p>“I persuaded Vestras that keeping it was more trouble than she wanted,” Mara said, which she supposed was in a sense true.</p><p>“You just talked her into it?”</p><p>Mara nodded.</p><p>“Just like how she just <em>happened </em>to show up at the perfect moment while you were fighting Drey?”</p><p>“As much as you might not believe it, Admiral, I believe I have talked her round to cooperating with the Federation,” Mara said.</p><p>“Yes, so you claim. I’ll believe that when the SAA brings a workable option to the negotiating table,” he said, in a tone that said he clearly didn’t believe that was possible. “Until then… I suppose I should say good work, Captain.”</p><p><em>You don’t have to sound so grudging about it</em>, Mara thought, even as she gave him a stiff salute and said, “Thank you, sir.”</p><p>“In the meantime I suppose all that’s left is to file the paperwork- I’ll need a better mission statement from the leader of Fireteam Marshall than what I hope is only the preliminary report-”</p><p>Mara’s attention drifted back to the <em>Astralancer </em>as Lazaowski continued to talk, because she’d already heard similar complaints from him a hundred times. Her best fireteam were the <em>best </em>at everything - except filing mission reports.</p><p>Despite her objections to it’s owner, there was no denying the <em>Astralancer </em>was a beautiful ship. There was no need for a ship to be aerodynamic in space, but the <em>Astralancer </em>was anyway, shaped like a graceful arrow, its exterior covered in mirrored gold-</p><p>Lazaowski’s voice cut into her thoughts as he exclaimed, “Admiral!”</p><p>Mara turned to find him saluting to an older human woman who had appeared from the doors at the back of the docking area. Mara jumped into a similar salute in an instant on clocking the number of bars on the woman’s uniform, but it took her a moment to place her face. “Admiral Inkawa?”</p><p>The woman smiled at her, and indicated they could both be at ease. “Captain Day, congratulations on the recapture of the <em>Astralancer </em>and your successful defence of Abasat,” she said, her voice formal but warm. “I was wondering if I might borrow you for a moment?” she said, looking between Mara and Admiral Lazaowski. His face wrinkled up in a frown, but he nodded.</p><p>Inkawa led Mara away from the <em>Astralancer’s </em>docking bay, out into the sprawling mess of Arcturus Station’s upper docks. Humanity’s oldest and largest ring station was also it’s most chaotic and poorly designed. Inkawa stopped by one of the viewing windows that looked out onto the huge red giant, tapping one finger against her mouth for a few moments before she spoke. Then she turned to Mara and said, “Captain, I’ll get straight to the point. Your actions out in the Abasat system - or should I say, your <em>interactions </em>with the SAA - have changed the minds of several people who were previously sceptical about the possibility of negotiations. There is now a movement toward convening peace talks, and I want your help in supporting it.”</p><p>A sensation rushed through Mara then, just like tension releasing after a long battle. It was a relief, she thought, to finally find someone who seemed to be in her corner. “I’ve been a proponent of peace talks from the start, Admiral. Just say the word.”</p><p>Inkawa nodded. “The Protectorate Admiralty is holding a conference in conjunction with political representatives from the Federation and other interested parties, five days from now. I would like you to accompany me there and speak about your experiences with the SAA; mainly the battle in the Abasat system. After all, if that’s what’s convinced them to start talking peace, they should at least listen to the woman who saw it all happen.”</p><p>Mara was already nodding. “I can do that, Admiral.”</p><p>“Good.” Inkawa gave her a pleased smile. “I have all the tactical data, but your testimony should press the point home, I think.”</p><p>“I hope so, Admiral.” Mara hesitated, then continued, “And… it’s good to know someone else is willing to support peace. I had thought…”</p><p>“That you were on your own?” Inkawa’s smile widened. “Not at all, Captain. There are several of us who share your opinions.” She laughed quietly. “Most of us just aren’t bold enough to state them so openly.”</p><p>“Sometimes I’m not sure if I’m bold or stupid,” Mara muttered, almost to herself.</p><p>“I’d stick with bold, Captain,” Inkawa said, reaching out for a moment to pat her on the arm. “More than enough people will jump to insult you, after all. And as they say - fortune favours the bold.”</p><p>/</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>FORMAL COMMUNICATION FROM: Protectorate Admiralty Board</p><p>ADDRESSED TO: The Spiral Arm Alliance Governing Body</p><p>To the Governing Body of the Spiral Arm Alliance, and whomever this message may concern;</p><p>We, the Admiralty Board of the Protectorate, express our wish that formal peace negotiations might be convened between our two parties. We propose that the issues critical to resolve include, but are not limited to: the Spiral Arm Alliance’s secession from the United Federation of Humanity, and subsequent refutation of their authority; the possibility of reparations being due to the government of the Spiral Arm Alliance and certain private citizens from several corporations and businesses, the full extent and details of which are outlined in attached document Appendix B.1; and the possibility of commendation or recognition being due to Commodore Selina Vestras and her crews for their assistance in the defence of the planet Abasat and the capture of a high priority criminal target.</p><p>We confirm that we act in good faith and represent ourselves with honesty in all our dealings current and future, and ask the Spiral Arm Alliance to hold themselves to the same standard. We confirm that these negotiations will be carried out in accordance with the laws set forth in the Founding Charter of the Protectorate (relevant sections including: 15.1.2a-15.13.6e, 17.1-17.9.3d, 18.1-18.15.4b, 19.1-19.40.5h, and all subsequent attached appendices).</p><p>We propose that these negotiations may take place at the Hall of the Aspirant Mind on the planet of Jansalaent, beginning at the ninth hour of the morning galactic standard time, on the fifty-third day of the sixth month, galactic standard calendar.</p><p>Please return your acceptance or denial of these terms with all haste to the return address listed in Appendix A.1; requests for amendments or changes to the terms, topics, or meeting time and location can be submitted as laid out within Appendix A.2.</p><p>With wishes for the continued preservation of peace,</p><p>Yours respectfully,</p><p>The Admiralty Board of the Protectorate.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>In a file secretly appended to the formal communication sent to the Spiral Arm Alliance, addressed to Commodore Selina Vestras:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dear Selina,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As promised, I made them see reason (all my own work, naturally). I hope you find the terms acceptable, and can convince your government to agree. I’ve heard you hold quite a lot of sway out there, so put in a good word for us? If you want to ask me about anything, I’m sure you can find a way to get a message back to me, and I’ll endevour to find a way to answer. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I do truly hope these negotiations go well. I know I said on Abasat that I just don’t want to get involved in a war, but I felt I should tell you it’s more than that. I believe the voices of the people hurt by the Federation and the corporations should be listened to, and they should be given a forum to discuss why they felt alienated enough from the Federation to leave. I hope you know that you and I share the same dissatisfaction with the way the Federation is run, and whose voices get listened to; we just have different solutions for dealing with it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>On a personal note, I hope that a peaceful resolution to this situation might allow the resumption of civilian travel into areas controlled by the Spiral Arm Alliance. I admit that I wonder about the place that inspires such devotion in you; I wonder about the places you live, and the places you protect. I wonder about where you call home - and I realise that I would like to see it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And in answer to your ‘most amorous enquiry’ (my AI reads these, you know): yes, I would be delighted to accept. It may not be ‘fancy’, in your words, but I have heard the third moon of Aodksa is very beautiful in spring (and if these negotiations go well, who knows? Our second date could be a ‘fancy sit-down dinner on Stralamayer’, as you put it). </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yours in hope (and in confidence),</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Captain Mara Day</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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